Mubadala MRO firm to set up French JV

Zurich, June 5, 2013

SR Technics, part of the Abu Dhabi-based Mubadala Aerospace MRO network, has joined hands with French airline Aigle Azur to set up a joint venture company in Paris which will provide all line and light maintenance activities for its Airbus A320 and future A330 fleets.

SR Technics will be the majority shareholder of the JV, with strong involvement from Aigle Azur.

With this JV, the two companies will build on their long-standing relationship and further leverage their mutually beneficial co-operation.

Aigle Azur will be able to fully focus on its core activities as an airline, while SR Technics will grow its international line maintenance network. This also marks a further milestone in its overall strategy to build strong airline and OEM partnerships.

The new company is set to start operations next month in Paris-Orly.

This will be the main country hub for SR Technics France, which is supported by a growing network of outstations, initially including Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Marseille, and later Lyon.

Andy Best, the head of line maintenance international at SR Technics, said: “With such a strong airline partner, Paris-Orly will be an excellent main hub in France to further expand our line maintenance network."

"Through our flexible, tailor-made technical support services, customers will benefit from reduced complexity which will enable them to fully focus on their core business as an airline," he noted.

The new venture will be led by Frederic Schnider, the general manager SR Technics France, who has been working for the company for more than 20 years.

An experienced aircraft maintenance engineer and manager, he can draw from his strong background in line maintenance, having worked both for airlines and MRO providers.

Schnider will build on the expertise of the 90 employees in Line Maintenance in Paris.

The key services to be provided include general line maintenance capabilities, with an extended light maintenance offering, such as cabin maintenance, paint services, sheet metal, interior cleaning, and engine and aircraft washing.-TradeArabia News Service